As we head into Thanksgiving break, we are limited in the number practices we have left, but we certainly aren't letting the end get the best of us!  This past weekend we went to New Hampshire to volunteer at a 5k, for Girls on the Run.  While the event was canceled due to the weather, we were still able to have a great weekend! After team breakfast we climbed Mount Major, and although we had some first time hikers, were able to climb the mountain and get some awesome photos along the way!

The team on the top of Mount Major!

After the hike we were able to enjoy the resort before having an awesome sit-down Thanksgiving dinner!

We are looking forward to a round robin scrimmage the first weekend in December with Northeastern and MIT.  The next weekend we will be having another scrimmage with Boston College! So while we are all  looking forward to the holidays and semester winding down, we are geared up to finish the season strong!

Before we meet all of our potential new teammates at Splash on September 8th from 12-2pm, lets check in on some of our recent grads and see what they are up to!

Lindsey Stevens is living a new apartment with her new 10 year old kitty, in Brighton working as an EMT while she gears up for grad school.  Through her crazy hours she always manages to reach out to old (although it doesn't seem like it ) teammates and keep in touch.  She is loving not having the stress of midterms and finals but she does miss having some really awesome academic conversations that she got during her time at BU.  We miss you mucho but love to hear how well you are doing!

Next up is Camilla Stejskal! She is also living in the Boston area and is currently working as a lab manager and researcher with the BU Department of Chemistry but is looking for a position in research or biotech before continuing her studies! The focus of her work is understanding protein function using biochemical and molecular biology laboratory practices.  She is a big believer that biochemical research access problematic corners of science such as sustainable development, industrial chemical production and healthcare in a fascinating and decisive way! She appreciated the base knowledge and networks she has made at BU and how she has been able to use and expand them in her field.  She's missing the water polo community very much, and claims that joining a new sport was one of her fondest memories from BU, aside from earning her degree! Keep killing it girl, we are proud!

Varsha Srivastava has been living it up this summer and we are all jealous she got to spend time in New York City with another alumni, Roslyn Harold, and celebrate Roslyns birthday together since she moved to Texas two years ago! She is headed back the Bay area for a little bit before she heads off to Barcelona!! She will be studying abroad there in the fall.  Although she still has school left, she misses practicing with the team and getting a regular work out in! Have lots of fun in Spain and please send photos!

This weekend our Terriers made the long trek to Middlebury University for the first tournament of the season. We played two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. With a lot of players participating in their first game of water polo it was a great weekend for learning and experiencing new things.

Our first game for the weekend was against a strong Wesleyan team. Our defense struggled with a fast Wesleyan offense in the first half of the game. However, by the second half our defense started to come together and we were able to more effectively shut down their offense. Unfortunately, it came a little too late and the Terriers lost 10-7.

Our second game of the weekend took place Saturday evening against the tournament host’s, Middlebury College. Middlebury came out quick ready to defend their home turf however our defense was ready for them as well. Our offense took charge in this game quickly driving up the score and we were victorious 10- 8. Gaby Grund worked especially hard as she made her debut as a Terrier in set and scored multiple goals. This game was also a great learning experience as all of our new players were able to play and get their feet wet so to speak.

Sunday morning dawned a new day for the BU Terriers and the morning started off quick with a tough game against Dartmouth. The Dartmouth girls were fast and played hard and while BU lost 14-3, the team showed a lot of stamina and played at 100% for the entire game. Special props to Camila Stejskal for beating the Dartmouth sprinter on a swim off.

We finished our tournament Sunday afternoon with a fun game against UMass. (Despite the long weekend we were able keep great spirits and strong swimming! BU came out ahead and won 8 to 5.

Overall the Terriers had a great weekend and are looking forward to the Alumni tournament this weekend and our next CWPA tournament the weekend of April 7^th.

On Sunday October 15th, the team participated in their first scrimmage of the off-season with local rival Boston College at our home pool. For many new members this was their first taste of a real water polo game. Special shout out to our new members Andi Kokkinos, Caitlin Yam, Carly Langan, Liz Harmison, Ezgi Nur Eyigor, Gaby Grund and Laura Tsang for participating in their first game as Terriers! Ultimately the team lost the scrimmage 15-19 after four quarters of regulation play. Great effort was demonstrated by all players during the scrimmage, especially returning goalie Varsha Srivastava, as she blocked several one on nobody shots with ease. The team was able to walk away with good spirits and specific things  that coach Joanna Chan plans to focus on in the rest of the semester. 

This weekend the girls plan to support the BU Men's Water Polo team as they host championships @ BU. The men's team enters the championship tournament as the #1 seed and a fantastic shot to win the New England Division. Good luck boys! We will be cheering you on the entire way.

Check out the schedule for the tournament here.

It's official! The 6th annual Austin Brashears Memorial Alumni Tournament will be held at Boston University's Fitness and Recreation Center on Saturday March 17th. Games will start at 1 p.m. Stay tuned for more information about the schedule for the event and information on the reception following the games.

Click here to see a video recap of the event last year!

In addition, each year at the tournament both the men's and women's teams sell raffle tickets to raise money for the Austin Brashears Scholarship. Various gifts from local vendors have been a part of the raffle in the past. If you know of anyone who would be willing to donate any items to the raffle contact Maddie Thomas at methomas@bu.edu.

We look forward to seeing you on March 17th!

As the summer has officially winded down our ladies have been busy recruiting new members and volunteering in the community.

Back on September 9th the returning members got super spirited and helped recruit new Terriers with their flashy signs and stylish swim suit apparel. They must of done a great job as our team has a seen huge growth in size in the first few weeks!

In addition to being spirited, on September 17th our entire team, new and old members, got together super early and helped volunteer at the annual Hub on Wheels bike race that happens throughout the entire city of Boston. The girls passed out fruit, water and apple juice to the racers while also being positive reinforcement for the riders as they continued on the course.

In the next coming weeks our team hopes to continue to hone our craft of water polo and get our butts in shape to eventually participate in some scrimmages. Stay tuned for more information!

The BU Women's Water Polo Club is excited to start a new year together in the upcoming weeks. With 14 players confirmed to return, the team plans to welcome talent old & new to the pool. We are also excited to welcome back Joanna Chan, head coach for her third season with the team.

Are you returning?

Check out the blog updates including our 2017 coaching staff, E-Board, roster updates, and most importantly - our semester schedule. Our first optional practice for all returning players will be Wednesday, September 6 at 9pm. Stop by to reunite with friends & get back in the pool. Our first official practice will be on Monday, September 11th at 8pm - new players meeting & our first workout with Joanna.

Are you a new player looking to join?

Come visit our table at Splash on Nickerson Field on Saturday, September 9th at 1pm. After you signup, we will email you updates, including a reminder about our new player meeting: FitRec Pool Classroom, September 11th at 8pm. Following the meeting will be the chance to join the team in the water. Players of all skill levels are welcome. A swimming background is recommended.

For more info, email bugirlswaterpolo@gmail.com. 

Furthermore, we are excited to share what our 2017 Alumni has been up to since graduation...

We are so proud of our graduates for all their accomplishments & new adventures. We hope to see them at our 2018 Alumni Tournament!

What have our graduates done for Summer 2017?

Roslyn Harrold

Psychology Major, Graduated December 2016

Roslyn graduated with her degree after 5 semesters at BU, which is unheard of (graduating in 8 is usually hard enough). She is currently working at a medical school in Dallas, Texas, studying depression across the lifespan. Her efforts are currently focused on a longitudinal study that’s seeking to improve diagnoses and treatment outcomes for mood disorders through the use of neural- and bio-markers. This summer she went camping with her friend Ellen she met at BU at Big Bend National Park - where the desert floor reached 150 degrees during her stay! She hiked the Chisos Mountains and crossed into Mexico - making friends with a Mexican cattle rancher. Although she has not been involved in polo since she graduated, she has been lap swimming to stay in shape.

Stay in contact with Roslyn & ask her where this photo was taken!

Leslie Fung

Public Health Major, Graduated May 2017

Leslie has decided to pursue nursing, eventually becoming a midwife. She began working towards her goal this summer, taking some related courses including microbiology. To earn some extra cash and hopefully some free delicious pastries, she started working part-time at Flour Bakery (the team can't wait to go visit). Additionally she has been working with Sargent College's Academic Counselor on a project to improve Sargent Advising, studied for & took the GRE, and started training for her practicum at Boston Medical Center's Psychiatry Department. If you aren't impressed yet, she also managed to fit in some traveling - going to NYC with her boyfriend, visiting her family back home in San Francisco, and is currently vacationing in Maui. In the fall she will return to BU to earn her Masters in Public Health, so hopefully we see her around the pool at least a few times. What a productive summer for Leslie!

Stay in contact with Leslie & ask her where this photo was taken!

Ali Nichols 

Marketing Major, Graduated May 2017

After graduating, Ali traveled for about two months. Her trips included Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Frankfurt, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Mallorca. She is currently spending a few weeks at home in Hawaii, and will be moving to LA at the end of this month. Although she is not sure which company she will be working with, she is in the final round interviews with some wonderful options. Once in the area and settled in, she plans to look for a polo team to join. We will sure miss Ali's polo skills, bright smile, (& dabs) this year.

Stay in contact with Ali & ask her where this photo was taken!

Steph Borgstein 

Public Health Major, Graduated May 2017

*2017 BUWWP Vice President

Steph has traveled quite a lot since earning her degree. After visiting her family in the Netherlands, she spent two weeks in California - visiting LA, San Francisco, and Yosemite National Park (where she went backpacking for four days). She is currently working at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute as a research assistant in the Department of Oncologic Pathology. No matter where she ends up, she hopes to find a new polo team to call home.

Stay in contact with Steph & ask her where this photo was taken!

Ashley Reischman 

Mechanical Engineering  Major, Graduated May 2017

*2017 BUWWP Captain

To celebrate her graduation, Ashley's family went on a trip to Africa, visiting South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. She currently works as a field engineer at Baylo in Woburn, MA, designing software that navigates autonomous trucks in warehouses. We are also excited to share that Ashley will be volunteer COACHING for the team. Ashley's skills have carried the team through many tough tournaments, and we are excited for her to be joining us once a week at practice.

Stay in contact with Ashley & ask her where this photo was taken!

Allison "Durks" Durkan

Computer Engineering Major, Graduated May 2017

*2017 BUWWP President & Captain

Since the "fancy, expensive piece of paper," Durks has been doing what we all expected - taking the world by storm (and working at Microsoft - in case you somehow missed that over the last year). Before starting her job as a software engineer, she drove cross-country with her older sister. In addition to helping her sister move to Seattle, she was able to visit two players on her route - Madie (in Chicago) & Mary (in St. Paul). This fall she will be joining Boston Metro Water Polo. Currently, the water polo team is trying to figure out how to function without this badass.

Stay in Contact with Durks & ask her where this photo was taken!

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This article was written by Maddie Thomas, Co-President BUWWP, methomas@bu.edu